What is Smoking Cessation?

Smoking cessation is a term that is used to describe a whole process in single word. A process through which a person goes to quit smoking is smoking cessation. Most common forms of processes used for quitting smoking include cold turkey, nicotine replacement therapy, individual and group counseling, nicotine patches and antidepressant or stimulant medication. Smoking cessation is a process that can occur without taking support from healthcare professionals or use of medications. Sudden quitting smoking can result in some side effects like gaining weight. What is smoking cessation can be better understood by having some information about different methods of smoking cessation. Here I have provided information about most common types of smoking cessation methods that are being used in common:

Cold Turkey is a commonly used method of smoking cessation that requires the person to stop smoking immediately without taking any additional nicotine. It means that a person addicted to smoking doesn’t gradually wean himself off of nicotine but shocks his body into withdrawal. Most common side effects reported by people who have experienced this method of smoking cessation include headaches, anxiety, irritability, fatigue, insomnia, stomach pain and nausea. Majority of these symptoms happen due to reaction of dopamine reactions in brain and can last for several days until all nicotine from individual’s body is discharged. Once all nicotine is gone, a person can successfully overcome habit of smoking.

Nicotine Replacement Therapy is another very commonly used method of smoking cessation. This method is also known as simply NRT. This therapy works by delivering nicotine to the body through some different means other than cigarettes because cigarettes contain harmful chemicals that develop habit of addicting nicotine. Nicotine Replacement Therapy is preferred because it works better than method discussed earlier and helps a person in quitting smoking altogether. Some most commonly used options for NRT are lozegens, gum, nasal spray and inhalers. All these options are used as measured doses of nicotine that can gradually be reduced. Side effects or after symptoms of this method are not so severe.

Nicotine Patches are form of smoking cessation that is similar to nicotine replacement therapy. Each patch of nicotine has specific amount of nicotine. These patches can be bought with different amounts of nicotine so people willing to quit smoking can start from higher dose and move to lower dose patch until the smoker feels able to stop smoking.